I'm going to try something new this summer. I've always had an inkling that it might be nice to do some badger watching and I think that I might have found the perfect location. Has anyone got any experience of this pass time?
The weather is lousy at the moment but as soon as things settle down, I'm definitely going to give it a go. Watch this space, as I knock off another item on my 'things to do' list.

This is the spot that I'm going to try. I'll be able to watch them from the far side of this little valley.

1 night vis helps a lot (if using mk one eyeball get a low output red led or put a couple of red sweetie wrappers over a torch to see any small kit etc as it wont trash human N V.)

2 they like bacon butties

3 and apples

4 you and your clothes and kit should be clean but with no trace of soap ,fabric conditioner ,toothpaste etc etc ,then go live in a wood for a couple of days to get a blend in smell.

5 make sure you are very comfy .

6 be quiet and still but not rigid and tense ,relax into the landscape which can include getting on with whatever you want to do .

7 they mostly react to scent and noise but try not to be too "visible" unless you look "natural"

the golden rules of being a sniper apply to critter watching but they dont shoot back and sometimes if you "ignore"them they will ignore you

if you have no bad intent to the beasts it is easier to give them no disturbing signals

the cooking bacon thing works with otters as well even if you have a couple of hounds and a coffee pot on the go .

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011Posts: 3456Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Thu May 07, 15 10:41 pm Post subject:

Find a nice comfortable spot in daylight and sit there for a while to make sure it really is comfortable. Look around for landmarks and anything pale that you might mistake for a badger's head when it's dark.

Make sure your way out is free of badger holes and use a small torch. I went badger watching in the New Forest with a Guider who didn't know much about it many years ago. We sat in the pitch black, so wouldn't have seen anything anyway, and didn't use torches on the way out, which is why I went virtually up to my waist in a badger hole.